Is talking the most effective way of communication with others?

Talking is the most effective and satisfying way of communication with others because it involves contact with other human beings. There are multiple forms of communication, which include: texting, cell phones, email, and social media. Using these alternative forms to communicate with others may be faster, but it lacks many qualities that a face-to-face conversation possesses.

Facial expression, tone of voice, and body language can substantially effect a conversation. These aspects can be used to clue a person in on what the other person is thinking and feeling. Tone of voice can be applied to video chatting and phone calls, and facial expression can be applied to video chatting as well, but all the other forms can only be applied to a face-to-face conversation. Not only that, but talking in person can have physical attributes as well. Giving someone a hug and holding their hand to comfort them can only be done in person. When talking to someone by texting or instant messaging them, physical contact is nonexistent, which can limit the connection between the people involved.

Social media and texting may make communication easier, but again, it lacks body language and physical connection. These two things alone can dramatically alter a conversation. Another issue with these forms of communication, is that everyone is hiding behind a screen. Although cowardly, this may motivate people to make rude and disrespectful remarks to each other. This can lead to the sensitive subject of cyber-bullying. On a lighter note, it also diminishes the intimacy and privacy of a personal conversation.

Language and grammar are an important factor in any form of communication. In recent years, the ability to use proper grammar and form sentences has taken an unfortunate plunge. Due to texting and social media, abbreviations for many words and phrases have been created. For example, the question “What’s up?” can be typed Waz Up, Wassup, and Sup. These abbreviations cause many students to forget or dismiss the use of proper grammar, considering they use the abbreviations more than they use the actual word. However, in a face-to-face conversation a student is less likely to use improper grammar because most people do not “talk text.” Some people do speak with improper grammar, but at least they can form better sentences when talking in person.

In conclusion, the most effective and satisfying way of communicating with others is talking. It provides a physical connection that can greatly influence a conversation. Electronic means of communication are creating a division between people and a face-to-face conversation. It is so much easier to shoot someone an email or a text than to get together with them. It saves time, but it eliminates human interaction, which is not healthy. Too much electronics and not enough interaction is a huge problem today. In order to fix this problem people need to put down the electronics and talk to one another. Otherwise, face-to-face conversations will become uncommon, and all of the special connections between people will be lost.

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